Presents
by JJLives
Summary: One Shot. Brittany has trouble wrapping presents and Santana helps. Fluffy Christmas Eve Special.


_Okay, here's an actual Christmas one-shot I wrote today. I couldn't get it out of my head and since my other one I've decided needs another chapter, or Part 2 as it were, I am owing someone a Christmas One-shot. _

_Happy Holidays, New Years is almost here, wow 2014 is almost over!_

Why is it not working?

I try again, folding the paper slowly, matching it up before creasing it. I sit up and observe my handiwork.

It sucks.

I push the paper away from me angrily and cross my arms. I know I probably look like a child, pouting and glaring at inanimate objects but it's their fault. Why won't they just cooperate?

I've been folding and refolding the paper so much it's crumpled looking and I know even if I do get it right it's going to turn out looking like a wrinkled mess, not pretty.

I look to my left and from my vantage point sitting on the floor the Christmas tree and the already wrapped presents are in perfect view. Those presents look pretty, but why wouldn't they, Santana wrapped those.

They look like a professional packaged them and when I turn back to the box I'm trying to wrap I feel like crying.

It's never going to look as nice as hers. But it's her present. It should look at least as good as the other ones, if not better.

I tug the box and paper closer to me again and assess the damage. The paper is definitely ruined. I crumple it up and toss it in a small pile of previously inadequate wrapping. I grab the roll and pull some of the paper out and cut it, making sure to keep the line straight, placing the box on top once it's free from the roll. I wrap the paper around the box a few times and tape it down and start on the corners. They still won't work. She's shown me this a bunch of times, why can't I remember how to do it.

After a few more failed attempts I'm even more frustrated. I think of how disappointed she's going to be when I hand her an ugly or unwrapped present in the morning.

I feel tears making their way down my cheeks and I don't even stop them. What's the point?

I haven't realized how long I've been trying to wrap the present until I hear rattling keys coming from the door to the apartment.

I look around me and panic. She can't see her present like this! I have just enough time to lift the paper I'm trying to use and cover the box before the door opens and Santana walks in.

"Hi," I say and smile. She smiles as she closes and locks the door. She's carrying grocery bags and it's quite the show to watch how she maneuvers the bags to drop her keys on the top of the table we have sitting by the door.

It reminds me that I still have my keys in my pocket. I keep forgetting to put them on the table when I get home. I'm always losing them and Santana always seems to find them before I can.

She walks to the kitchen area, which is pretty much in the living room because the apartment is quite small. But it's a one bedroom and really it's all the two of us need, even if Santana complains about the lack of closet space. She sets the bags on the counter and turns to me and smiles.

"Hey," she finally greets me, stepping closer.

Her smile disappears and I immediately look around me at the mess. Crap! I was supposed to have the place cleaned up when she got home and I just made it a bigger mess. I open my mouth to start apologizing but her voice beats me to it. I get prepared for a lecture about time and how we are running out before the gang gets here tomorrow morning and how many things she still has to check off her list. But instead...

"Why are you crying?" I open my mouth to deny it but when I lick my lips I taste salt. "Oh Britt, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," I try to say convincingly but my throat is hoarse and I can tell she doesn't believe me. She takes another couple steps towards me and I'm worried she'll see her present. "No!" I practically yell at her and hold up my hand to stop her approach. Her face falls and I realize I've hurt her. I never meant to do that. "That's not what I meant." I hurry to fix it. "It's not that I don't want you near me because I do. I always do, you know that." Her shy smile comes out at that comment and I smile back, liking that I have that affect on her. "It's just-" I look down at the covered box in front of me "-I don't want you to see your present."

She looks down and notices the box covered with a sheet of shiny wrap. "Oh!" She stands upright and takes a step back. "I can go take a shower and leave you to finish. I'll get my welcome home kiss later."

She winks and I instantly picture her naked body in the shower and wish I could surprise her by joining her. But that would mean I'd have to finish wrapping her present before she gets out of there and at the rate I've been going I'd be lucky to finish wrapping this by the morning.

"Don't bother, I can't do it. It's too hard and it keeps looking stupid when I try." I don't meet her eyes this time.

"What did we say about that word? And is this why you were crying?"

I wipe the rest of the moisture off my face and nod, still keeping my eyes on the paper in front of me.

"I'm sure it looks just fine."

"It has to be better than just fine, though."

"Why, the presents from you to me right?" I nod. "Then I'll love it whether it's wrapped in gold or a grocery bag."

"But it has to be perfect!"

"Britt...why?"

"Because it's our first Christmas together."

"It's not-"

"I mean first real Christmas. Like as grown ups and living together and just us." I look up and see she's smiling sadly at me. "We're going to wake up and exchange gifts and I want yours to be as perfect as you are."

"Britt, it'll be perfect either way but if you want it to look perfect, by others standards because I love your wrap jobs, then why not ask Berry or someone else for help?"

I sigh and lean my head back into the couch I'm leaning against. "Because I want to do it."

She's silent for a couple minutes. "Let me help then."

"No, you can't see it until tomorrow!"

"Keep it covered." She kneels beside me. "Scoot forward."

I do as she says and feel her take up the empty spot behind me. Her jean covered legs spread out on either side of me and I reach down with each of my hands and squeeze her legs right above her knees. She wraps her arms around me and hugs me from behind while resting her chin on my right shoulder. I make sure the present is still covered from her view and I feel her lips on my exposed shoulder, my shirt sleeve must have fallen down my arm without me knowing.

"Now what?" I ask. "How are you going to help without seeing the present?"

"I'll close my eyes."

"But-"

"Just trust me Britt."

I sigh but decide to do as she tells me to. She's never steered me wrong before.

"Okay, now uncover the box

And put it on top of the paper so we can do this."

I pause, "are your eyes closed?"

"Yes."

"And you won't peak?"

She laughs but moves her head from resting on my shoulder to placing her forehead against the back of my neck. "There now even if I open my eyes I can't see anything."

"Okay."

I uncover the box and Santana keeps her word and leaves her head resting against the back of my neck. I place the box on the paper and tell Santana it's ready. She reaches forward blindly and I guide her hands to the box. She folds the paper around the box and then let's the paper drop while she centres it. She folds up the sides but stops.

"The paper isn't big enough Britt. You need a bigger piece."

"Again? Ugh, I'm hopeless."

"No you're not. Here, where's the roll?"

I grab it after tossing the too small piece in the pile with the other rejects and unravel some paper.

"How much do I need?"

She reaches for the box and sets it lengthwise on the unraveled paper. She lifts the one free end and moves the box to one side a few inches and lifts the paper up against the box again.

"The ends have to come up to half way on either end or else you're going to have spaces like before."

"I forgot that rule." I grumble.

She lifts her head and I automatically go to cover the present but all she does is kiss the back of my neck and rest her head back down like it was before. I relax back into her a little.

She moves the roll some and then tells me to cut along the rolls edge. I do as I'm told and tell her when that's done.

"You wanted to do this right?"

"Yeah."

She grabs each of my hands in hers and makes me lift the box into the center of the paper. She tells me to lift the ends to make sure they come up evenly on either side. I do as I'm told and she follows my movements with her own hands. Once I'm positive the box is exactly center I tell her. She tells me to roll the box up into the paper. Knowing how to do this part so I finish that more quickly. She double checks my work before she tells me to tape the paper down.

Once done she turns the present so the one end is facing me and then grabs my hands once more. She guides my fingers into making the proper folds and tells me where and when to use tape but never touches the actual present until I'm done. She follows the creases with her own fingers when I say I'm done and I feel her smile between my shoulder blades.

"Now do the same to the other end." She says as she returns her hands to my waist, hugging me again. I do the other side myself and it takes me a little longer without her fingers to guide me but once I'm done both sides look identical and the corners are sharp and the papers not wrinkled or bubbled up in spots. It looks just like hers sitting under the tree.

I tell her I'm done and she moves to rest her chin on my shoulder again.

"It's perfect." She says.

"Not yet, but I can do the bows and ribbon myself." I turn so that I can see her. "Thank you." I tilt my head and capture her lips with my own. "Welcome home, by the way." I smile and she does the same before leaning forward and kissing me again.

"You're good?" She asks.

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'm going for a shower then. I gots ta wash the subway off of me. Blech!"

I nod my head and reach for a shiny green bow out of the box beside me. I feel her eyes on me once she's weaselled her way from behind me and standing again. I look up once the bows in the perfect spot and find her smiling at me again.

"You're smiling a lot."

"That's because you make me very happy." She says back.

It makes me smile wide but I shoo her towards the bathroom and she relents. It takes me a few more minutes of leaning over the small box before I'm completely happy with my work. I finish writing on the sticker tag and straighten my back. I groan, leaning against the couch as my back spasms a little from being crouched too long. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds around me. I can hear the cars driving by a few stories below us and there is faint music coming from Mrs. Drake's next door. The only other noise I hear is coming from the bathroom. I hear the shower running before I remember my previous thoughts about joining Santana.

I open my eyes and jump to my feet. I quickly pick up Santana's present and set it carefully under the tree with the rest, right beside the one marked to me from Santana. I can't wait to exchange gifts in the morning before the others come.

I take one last look at the tree and presents before reaching down and lifting my shirt above my head. I throw it on the couch and make my way to the bathroom to join my girlfriend.

Time for some fun.


End file.
